Tools and tips you need to rock spring's makeup trends

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April 30, 2017

From contouring to baking to cut-crease eyes (feeling lost yet?), beauty trends have become increasingly intricate over the past few seasons. Fortunately, change is in the air. “With makeup being so over-the-top lately, there’s only one way for it to go, and that’s for the pendulum to swing the other way,” says Cover FX global ambassador Derek Selby, who has painted the faces of Uma Thurman and Isabella Rossellini. “We’re starting to see more natural, accessible, wearable looks.”

Here are five quick and easy ways to get set for spring – no 10-step tutorials required, we promise!-- Caitlin Kenny

SWAP BRONZER FOR ILLUMINATOR

With too-strong self-tans and overloaded bronzer quickly becoming a red-carpet faux pas, celebrities like Emma Roberts and Jessica Alba are finding new ways to glow – without the orange tint.

To build what Derek calls “layers of light,” start by applying a light-reflecting primer under your foundation. Then add pearlescent powder or a cream stick formula to the high points of your face: the tops of your cheekbones, your brow bone and the bridge of your nose. “Avoid applying too much shine on your T-zone or it will look like unintentional oil,” says Honey Artists’ New York City-based pro Jenny Kanavaros. Jenny suggests clients use a dusting of mattifying powder on the centre of the face instead and setting the look with a mist of illuminating setting spray to seal in the lively look.

When you’re picking products, find a hue that matches your skin’s undertone (slightly pink hues suit cool complexions, while champagne looks great on warmer types). Most important, look for finely milled shimmer rather than sparkle. “Put it on your hand and move around in the light,” says Derek. “You want it to bounce light and blur imperfections, but you don’t want to look like Tinkerbell sneezed on you."

SWAP YOUR CONTOUR KIT FOR A BLUSH PALETTE

After seasons of sculpting our faces the Kim Kardashian way, “draping” is replacing contouring as a beauty buzzword. “It’s about using blush to contour and shape the face,” says Toronto-based makeup artist Vanessa Jarman, who has worked with Lady Gaga and Alicia Silverstone. “We’re moving away from the earth tones, which can look a little muddy.”

You’ll need at least three coordinating blush hues to create definition, as seen on Emma Watson and Taraji P. Henson, so grab a blush palette to eliminate the guesswork. Use a small blush brush to sweep the lightest shade along the tops of your cheekbones. Then, add the mid-range blush to the apples of your cheeks, blending it backwards into your hairline. Apply the darkest blush under your cheekbone, extending no more than 3.5 centimetres toward the centre of your face.

To steer clear of ’80s territory, keep your application light and slowly build up to your desired intensity, advises Jenny. “Start with a little product on your brush and build the colour as you go – and most important, blend, blend, blend!”

SWAP LIQUID LINER FOR SMUDGY PENCIL

Say goodbye to the cat-eye and embrace the lived-in liner look favoured by Kristen Stewart. “While graphic liner is a great statement, it can look harsh when not properly applied,” says Jenny. “Smudgy liner [is] sultrier.”

Start by applying eyeshadow primer and a skin-tone-matching powder on your eye lid and around your lower lash line. “It creates a barrier against your skin’s natural oils, which tend to break down makeup,” says Vanessa. Next, choose your pencil shade (black is classic, but you can play with colour or neutrals, too) and placement (upper lash line, lower, or both).

Draw a thin line along your lashes then smudge with a small blending brush, and press eyeshadow one shade lighter than your pencil into the formula to help set the look and add dimension. “Flick up, flick out, flick in – use different motions for a messier look,” says Vanessa. Keep the rest of your makeup clean and minimal, and be armed for midday fixes. “Carry a Q-tip in your handbag!” says Jenny.

SWAP MATTE LIPSTICK FOR GLOSS

“The matte lipsticks we’ve been seeing lately are very saturated colours, which can make mature thin lips look smaller and older,” says Derek. “Lip gloss is completely the opposite: it reflects light and adds dimension so you look younger and fresher.”

Though celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Williams are going glossy, you don’t need a personal makeup artist to pull it off. “It’s the easiest thing to apply, even without a mirror,” says Derek. If you’re concerned about feathering, the pro recommends starting with an invisible liner along the edge of your lips.

Then, it’s as simple as dabbing the gloss – be it clear or tinted – in the middle of your mouth. Despite the temptation, Vanessa advises against pursing your lips together to blend. “You’re going to create a ring of excess product that has pushed its way out, and with this trend, you want to keep everything in the centre of your lips and clean.”

SWAP NUDE HUES FOR COPPER

The new neutral? Copper, as spotted recently on Emily Blunt’s lids and Viola Davis’s lips. “A lot of people can look washed out in nudes, whereas the warm metal trend gives you a little more oomph,” says Derek.

Nail polish is a great low-risk entry point to the trend, but there are foolproof ways to bring copper into your makeup, too. “Try it just on your lid so that when your eye is open you don’t see it, but when you blink, you get this little flash of copper,” recommends Derek. To experiment on your lips, Vanessa suggests dabbing copper eyeshadow over gloss. “Once you get more comfortable, you can start applying denser products,” she says.

Mix a hit or two of copper into an otherwise neutral palette for a monochromatic look, or go bold and pair it with purple. “It seems like it wouldn’t work,” admits Derek. “But because they’re so opposite, they make each other more vibrant when worn together.”